Chase missing details on a claim
Check the claim form against the file, then phone or email for the details needed to finish it.
Career profile
Insurance Policy and Claims Processing Clerk
Insurance clerks keep claims and policies moving by checking paperwork, updating records and filling gaps.
A claim lands on your desk with blanks, so you sort out which pieces are missing and reach someone who can supply them.
A day in the life
Update a policy record
Type in a new address or coverage change someone requested, then make sure the policy record shows it.
Set a commercial policy premium
In commercial policy jobs, you use rating software and worksheets, checking rating rules on tricky transactions.
Pass a finished claim along
Attach the supporting documents to the file, then send it on for payment or further investigation.
Quick facts
High school + workplace training
United States · 2025
$49,230 a year
United States · May 2025
1.9% projected decline
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + workplace trainingA high school diploma or equivalent is typical. Employers teach the processing work; some positions require experience.
Pay
$49,230 a yearNational median pay, equivalent to $23.67 an hour.
Outlook
1.9% projected declineAbout 17,500 openings a year are projected despite the overall decline.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like catching mismatches between records.
- You can explain the next step clearly to a customer.
- You enjoy keeping files easy to find.
Things to weigh
- Expect long stretches sitting at a computer and repeating similar checks.
- You may be measured on both processing speed and accuracy.
Where AI may help
Rating software helps calculate premiums, while worksheets and manuals support transactions that need manual work.
What people still lead
You interpret the rating rules and answer agents’ questions when the transaction needs explanation.
What we can’t predict yet
How much routine processing software will take over remains uncertain. Greater productivity is expected to limit demand for clerks, so the balance between routine files and exceptions may shift.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median gives you a reference point, not a promised first offer.
The midpoint
Median pay was $49,230 a year, or $23.67 an hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less.
The spread
The lowest-paid 10% earned $37,560 or less annually; the highest-paid 10% earned $73,590 or more. These are wage percentiles, not beginner and experienced pay rates.
Employer type matters
In May 2023, annual pay averaged $52,000 at insurance carriers and $49,270 in agencies, brokerages, and other insurance related activities. These older industry averages are separate from the 2025 national median.
Openings during a decline
Employment is projected to fall 1.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 17,500 openings annually on average. Openings can occur as workers leave even when the occupation shrinks.
Getting started
Enter a clerk job and learn at work
- What the route involves
- Apply with a high school diploma or equivalent, then learn the employer’s records and processing procedures through on-the-job training.
- What it can lead to
- You build the skills to handle the employer’s routine policy or claims transactions.
Bring insurance experience into policy service
- What the route involves
- Build experience with insurance records, customer inquiries, or premium calculations, then apply for commercial policy service work.
- What it can lead to
- Relevant experience can qualify you for roles supporting agents and underwriters across more policy transactions.
- What to check
- Some roles ask for a high school diploma plus one to three years of relevant insurance experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
A four-year degree is not the typical starting requirement. Look at both trainee positions and roles that ask for previous insurance experience.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get reliable with the records
Learn the employer’s system and practice checking entries before sending a file onward.
Handle more transaction types
On the policy side, develop your grasp of rating rules so you can process a wider range of commercial insurance transactions.
Move into claims quality review
With substantial health-claims experience, you could pursue claims auditing: checking processing quality and identifying where coworkers need training.
Where you can work
Commercial insurance carrier
You work with agents and underwriters who need policy transactions completed. Rating manuals and worksheets are regular references, and questions often concern premiums or policy details.
- Indoors
- Office
Healthcare claims service company
You process claims submitted by healthcare providers, checking coverage and benefits against the payer’s rules. Keeping a clear record of each claim action is part of the work.
- Indoors
- Office
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Make a fictional policy record and matching claim form with a different address and one blank field. Compare them, list what needs checking, and write a short request for the missing information. Notice whether careful checking and clear follow-up appeal to you.
Stay safe: Use invented information, not anyone’s real insurance or medical records.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2025–2035. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2023 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Financial Clerks. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Builders Mutual. Agency Service Representative. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- University Health. Claims Auditor — Community First Health Plans. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Cognizant. PE-Claims HC — Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-03.